Centene Corporation (CNC)
NYSEHealth CareMedical - Healthcare PlansSnapshot 2026-11-04
$76.01+12.64%
Close 2026-11-04 · 1-day change
NYSEHealth CareMedical - Healthcare PlansSnapshot 2026-11-04
Research Workspace
Put CNC beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Health Care is in steady. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisRevenue growth is slowing — up about 10% over the past year and decelerating.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityMiddle-of-the-pack management execution.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 2% a day.
View RiskCentene's margin recovery has to keep compounding to justify the price. Revenue grew 4% year over year in the second quarter. The third quarter beat estimates by 728.6%. The company raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance to over $5.20. CNC trades at 13 times earnings versus a 22 times peer median. The price reflects less growth than we forecast. Total at-risk membership fell to 25.7 million from 27.9 million. Reported profits are not well backed by cash. Peer multiples imply a price about 18% above where it trades. Our read remains intact. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-11-04. CNC is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 21 analysts currently covering CNC (as of Nov 2026).
Based on 12 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for CNC in the last 4 months.
Continue this research
Compare CNC with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNC Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 11 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-11-04. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Managed Health Care — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put CNC next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Increase 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to > $4.80
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-11-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $76.01
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $76.01.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Reported EPS outlook exceeds the >$4.80 objective, with Medicare turnaround reaching breakeven ahead of schedule.
Reported Q3 beat and lifted outlook support the tracked 2026 growth and EPS objectives.
Advances: Increase 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to > $4.80
Higher 2026 guidance tied to Medicare cost controls supports the EPS recovery objective.
Advances: Increase 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to > $4.80
Profit forecast lift from cost control benefits supports the 2026 EPS objective.
Advances: Increase 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to > $4.80
CEO says recovery is on track despite a small loss, supporting EPS progress.
Advances: Increase 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to > $4.80
Q3 beat and raised outlook support the 2026 earnings recovery objective.
Advances: Increase 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to > $4.80
Earnings and revenue beats offer incremental support, without confirming the 2026 targets.
Concerns about 2027 performance may impact 2026 guidance.
